Allegory — English definition
An extended work built so that its whole surface story systematically maps onto a second meaning — a farmyard tale that is really about revolution and power.
Where it is taught
- Theme, Symbol & Motif — Close Reading & Literary Analysis, English 12: Complex Texts, Independent Inquiry & Public Voice, Grade 12
In use
In allegory, an entire narrative is built so that its whole surface systematically maps onto a second meaning — a story about animals seizing a farm that is really about a political revolution, a pilgrim's journey that is really the soul's progress.
Theme, Symbol & Motif
Questions using allegory
Problem 1
Answer and explanation
A symbol is a single object, image, or action within a story that stands for a larger idea while the rest of the story still means what it says (a locked door standing for a guarded heart). An allegory is an entire narrative built so that its whole surface systematically maps onto a second meaning (a tale of animals taking over a farm that is really, point for point, about a political revolution). A symbol is local; an allegory organizes the whole work.